The fight over the proposal to privatize Cincinnati's parking system continues. As part of that agreement the city says private companies would operate the parking meters and garages. But those privateMore >>

As part of that agreement the city says private companies would operate the parking meters and garages. But those private companies would not control the rates, hours or enforcement. So what is the city not telling you?More >>

While the City Administration's $92 million dollar parking lease has yet to gain the official green light from council, the question of how to spend the potential windfall remains equally unresolved. IfMore >>

While the City Administration's $92 million dollar parking lease has yet to gain the official green light from council, the question of how to spend the potential windfall remains equally unresolved.More >>

City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. is presenting details of the administration's proposed plan for the city's parking facilities to City Council's Budget and Finance Committee at its regular meeting on Tuesday.More >>

We got our first look at the proposed private parking plan. See what it means to your parking inside this story.More >>

Cincinnati's Administration is continuing to pursue a public-private partnership option to overhaul the city's parking system, a system already going on in Indianapolis.More >>

Cincinnati's Administration is continuing to pursue a public-private partnership option to overhaul the city's parking system, a system already going on in Indianapolis. More >>

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) -

Cincinnati City Council's Budget and Finance committee is set to vote on a plan to privatize the city's parking system on Monday.

Under the plan, the city would receive $92 million up front and an additional $3 million a year. The lease would last for 30 years during which time parking rates are expected to increase.

Enforcement would be handled by the private operator, but the city would retain control of the parking system.

Mayor Mark Mallory is urging council to support the plan.

"This plan is a good deal for the City," Mayor Mallory said. "It will improve the City's parking system across the board, and it will bring in millions to fund transformative projects and help to balance the city budget now and in the future. The interchange at I-71 and Martin Luther King Drive alone will be a game changer for our second largest employment center and all of the neighborhoods in Uptown."

The issue has drawn mixed reviews.

Proponents argue that privatized parking would fill estimated budget gaps over the next two years. Reshaping downtown with a grocery store and apartments will bring additional revenue into the city.

In November, City Manager Milton Dohoney warned that without the plan for privatized parking, the results would be dire.

"To balance this budget based solely on cuts would call for the elimination of 344 positions," said Dohoney.

Opponents argue that the projected $92 million will all be spent by 2014. These individuals want neighborhoods to get more of that money instead of the city getting the loin's share.

The head of the Clifton Community Council, Ben Pantoja, is urging City Council to reject the privatized parking plan and find a better way to balance the budget.

"We think it's really bad for business districts like this because it encourages people to take their business elsewhere to shopping malls and places like that," said Pantoja.

Pantoja worries that longer enforcement hours would have a chilling effect on the local economy.

"Now people can park at six o'clock and know that they can go to dinner and not pay anything and not have to go back and feed meters," Pantoja explained. "Having to do that all the way to 9 p.m. essentially really creates an incentive to take their business elsewhere and go to restaurants elsewhere."

City Councilman Chris Seelbach says he has come up with a better way to balance the budget.

Councilman Charlie Winburn claims that he has come up with a better way to balance the budget. Winburn said that he has come up with a plan to balance the budget that will not cost city workers their jobs.

Winburn's plan includes using $8.7 million of the anticipated $12.7 million in casino revenue to balance the city's budget for the next 20 years, and using the rest that was dedicated to the Focus 52 Fund to support a balanced budget. He also wants to execute a 15 to 20 percent across the board cut relative to salary adjustments or furloughs exempting city basics such as police, fire, health, garbage, recreation, parks and road paving.

"There is absolutely no reason for city council to privatize or outsource parking to balance the city budget, because the aforementioned plan will help us balance the city budget for the next 20 years without privatization and outsourcing parking or raising taxes," said Winburn. "Furthermore, it moves us toward a structurally balanced city budget so that we will be able to retain more jobs as well as create jobs in the private sector long term."

A major fire happened at General Dynamics in Kilgore Saturday evening. Crews, from the Kilgore Fire Department, Sabine Fire and Rescue, and Longview Fire Department, were called out to the location on US 259. The Kilgore Police asked that people do not come to the area. No injuries have been reported. US 259 is closed between SH 31 and Pentecost Road. More information will be given once received and verified. Copyright 2018 KLTV. All rights reserved.

A major fire happened at General Dynamics in Kilgore Saturday evening. Crews, from the Kilgore Fire Department, Sabine Fire and Rescue, and Longview Fire Department, were called out to the location on US 259. The Kilgore Police asked that people do not come to the area. No injuries have been reported. US 259 is closed between SH 31 and Pentecost Road. More information will be given once received and verified. Copyright 2018 KLTV. All rights reserved.

A woman who was shot during a domestic disturbance at a Longview shopping center has died. Longview Police Department released a statement on the incident Saturday afternoon: "Update to February 15, 2018 Disturbance at 103 W. Loop 281 The Longview Police Department was informed today that Diana Jordan died from the injuries she sustained on Thursday night. The investigation is still on going and prayers and thoughts are wished upon the family and friends affected by t...

A woman who was shot during a domestic disturbance at a Longview shopping center has died. Longview Police Department released a statement on the incident Saturday afternoon: "Update to February 15, 2018 Disturbance at 103 W. Loop 281 The Longview Police Department was informed today that Diana Jordan died from the injuries she sustained on Thursday night. The investigation is still on going and prayers and thoughts are wished upon the family and friends affected by t...

As a tradition of black history month, each year a national theme is chosen. The 2018 theme, “African Americans in Times of War,” commemorates the centennial of the end of the First World War in 1918. Rodney Atkins, a Tyler pastor and former librarian, has spent his retirement researching the contributions of African Americans from the East Texas area. "I found out that almost in every predominantly black cemetery in East Texas you're going to find a World Wa...

As a tradition of black history month, each year a national theme is chosen. The 2018 theme, “African Americans in Times of War,” commemorates the centennial of the end of the First World War in 1918. Rodney Atkins, a Tyler pastor and former librarian, has spent his retirement researching the contributions of African Americans from the East Texas area. "I found out that almost in every predominantly black cemetery in East Texas you're going to find a World Wa...